Smarter Financial Planning

Golden Pine Advisory was created as a fee-only financial planning and investment management firm with a focus on delivering a unique experience that far surpasses the industry standard. We do not believe in putting you in a model plan or strategy that thousands of other people are in. Your plan is specifically designed for you.

We help you develop smarter financial plans so you can make better decisions as you navigate through life. Leading edge technology coupled with our simple and efficient planning process we instill the confidence and peace of mind you deserve to enjoy your life.

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Secure Your Financial Future and Experience Financial Freedom

About

A Different Approach to Financial Planning

Fee-Only

As a fee-only firm, we are compensated exclusively by the transparent fee paid to us by you, our client. There is NO sales pitch, NO commissions, NO products sold, and NO receipt of third party payments.

Fiduciary

We are legally bound to put your best interest first, and we take this commitment very seriously.

Independent

Our firm is founded on the principle of independence – independently owned, independent research and most importantly, independent recommendations that are custom tailored to each client.

Simplicity

We eliminate unnecessary complications and simplify the financial jargon so that you always understand your plan.

Efficient

We use world-class technology to streamline our process – giving you time back to focus on the things that matter most in your life.

Transparent

We believe you should understand how much you are paying and what you are paying for. We don’t sell products, and have no hidden agendas.

Environmentally Friendly

We believe in protecting our environment for all future generations to enjoy so we use technology for meetings, research, and reports. However, when we do print documents, we use environmentally friendly inks and recycled paper. Additionally, for every client who signs up for paperless document delivery, we will plant a tree in a US National Forest in their name.

Mark Bare, CFP®, CRPC®

I founded Golden Pine Advisory with the vision of transforming the financial planning process to a smarter, simpler and more efficient system. I chose to shift the focus of my firm away from the product sales approach that is commonly found in the industry and instead placed a focus on providing a client-friendly process with custom tailored financial plans and fee-only advice at a more affordable cost.

I was born an entrepreneur with a strong interest in technology and finance. Before college, I started and successfully ran my own computer build and repair business. I continued these interests after graduating Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in business from North Carolina State University.

I began my career as a financial and accounting analyst at one of the largest mortgage banks in the Southeast. After this experience, I ultimately knew that I wanted to work directly with clients and establish life-long relationships, so I completed my training and began working for a large brokerage firm in 2008. I acquired the Chartered Retirement Planning Counselor℠ designation in 2008 and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation in 2013.

I grew up in a small town in North Carolina, just outside of Pinehurst. I married my beautiful wife and high school sweetheart, Jordan, in 2008. We have an amazing daughter, Ainsley, as well as twin boys Walker and Wright. Family is incredibly important to me and I enjoy making memories with them. Our fur baby is a very energetic Australian Shepherd, Penny. Giving back to my community has always been a passion of mine and I currently sit on several committees at West End Presbyterian Church and serve as a board member at The Boys & Girls Club of the Sandhills. In my free time I enjoy traveling, fishing, boating, and anything related to NC State Athletics. Go Pack!

Services

Let us show you the smarter way to financial planning today.

Navigating your financial life can be overwhelming, but we can help guide you through tough financial decisions and help you proactively stay ahead of changes. Financial clarity leads to financial confidence and a brighter financial future.

Financial Planning Concepts

Cash FLow & Spending

It’s not how much you make, it’s how much you keep. We will help you figure out where your money is going and how much you need to save.

Retirement

If you are still working, we’ll evaluate your ability to retire and the resources available within your plan. If you are already retired, we will maximize your plan’s efficiency for each of your retirement income sources.

Estate

After analyzing your financial documents, account structure and beneficiary designations we will ensure that those you care about most are taken care of. When structured correctly, we can maximize the wealth transferred and reduce unnecessary tax burdens.

Investment & Analysis

Using award-winning software we’ll calculate your risk number and compare it with your current risk level to ensure that your current portfolio aligns with your investment goals and expectations.

Insurance

We will determine your need for insurance and review all existing life, disability, long-term care, home and auto policies to ensure you have adequate coverage to protect you and your family.

Income Tax

In order to improve your financial situation we’ll evaluate your current financial standing and search for better tax efficiencies within your plan.

Education

Support and planning as you set goals for your children and grandchildren.

Employee Benefits

We’ll work with you to fully evaluate your employee benefits to ensure that you are maximizing the coverage and benefits available to you and your family.

Tailored Investment Management Designed to Reach Your Unique Goals

Our disciplined process is designed to help you achieve your financial goals. After identifying your investment objectives and risk number, we build a globally diversified low cost portfolio using ETFs, index funds and broad market mutual funds. We automatically rebalance your portfolio and proactively make adjustments when your goals or risk tolerance change. Sticking with your financial plan and following our investment process will help you eliminate emotional decisions, which typically cause adverse effects to portfolio outcomes.

Our Investment Philosophy

1Investments should be affordable

2Investments should avoid unnecessary risk

3Investments should be simple

4Investor emotions and behavior are most likely to cause underperformance

5More trades and market timing are likely to result in more losses

Our Transparent Fees

Financial Planning

Depending on the complexity of the case and the number of topics involved, our initial planning fee ranges from $750-$5,000 and is followed by a monthly retainer of $99-$499 per month.

We provide hourly, as-needed advice to clients who prefer to work on an hourly or project basis. The advice may be general in nature or focused on particular services of interest depending on each client’s unique circumstances. Limited engagements are offered on an hourly basis at the rate of $200 per hour, calculated in 15-minute increments. If an hourly engagement is chosen, half of the fee is due at the beginning of the engagement and the remainder is due upon completion of the work.

Investment Management

For our investment management clients, we charge a percentage of assets we manage. Investment management clients with at least $500,000 in assets under management also receive ongoing financial planning services with the advisory fee.

Invested Assets

Percentage Charged

$0 - $500,000

1.50%

$500,000 - $1,000,000

1.25%

$1,000,000 - $2,500,000

0.80%

$2,500,000 - $5,000,000

0.70%

$5,000,000 +

0.60%

A Carefully Crafted Approach to Help You Achieve the Financial Life You Deserve

Process

Guiding you to financial freedom every step of the way

A home should be built on a strong foundation so it can remain standing for decades and weather various conditions. We think the same principle should apply to your financial plan. Our solutions are always custom tailored to your unique situation. We get there through our five-step process.

1

Let’s Connect

Schedule your free initial appointment so we can get to know each other.During this meeting, we will learn about your current financial situation and what you would like to accomplish. Successful financial planning begins with identifying and prioritizing your goals, then aligning your financial landscape to fit that picture.

2

Get Started

We start by gathering all of your financial documents. Then we use a short risk questionnaire to help structure our investment conversations. Using our collaborative online planning tool, we will organize all your financial components in one place and allow you to see how they are all interconnected

3

Discuss Plan

After we have drafted your financial plan, we schedule our initial plan presentation meeting. During this meeting, we will detail our financial analysis and recommendations to help make the process as easy and transparent as possible.

4

Implement

Once we have your unique financial plan in place, we will work with you to put our recommendations into action.

5

Monitoring

Things change. We will continually monitor and update the plan to evolve with your changing situation. With our online client portal, you can view your finances in one easy to use place, accessible by phone, tablet or computer.

Equipping You for a Brighter Financial Future.

Resources

FAQ

It means the only way Golden Pine Advisory makes money is through a fee that we negotiate with you ahead of time. We do not sell products and do not accept commission of any kind. Any fees we ultimately receive are paid just by you. No commission, no third-party payments, 100% independent. We think that puts us on the same side of the table as our clients.

Most people working in the financial industry are not fiduciaries. By definition, that means they are not required to do what’s in your best interest. Golden Pine Advisory has chosen to operate as a true fiduciary, which means we are legally bound to make decisions in your best interest. Part of being a fiduciary means your investment accounts are held with an independent third-party custodian.

It is the gold standard of designations in the financial planning industry. It identifies those individuals who meet the stringent education, examination, experience, and ethics requirements in addition to adhering to the principals of integrity, objectivity, competence, fairness, confidentiality, professionalism, and diligence.

We offer a complimentary introductory meeting in which we get acquainted with you, learn about your family, your goals and aspirations, and determine if Golden Pine Advisory can help. The session also gives you a chance to decide if we are right for you.

Client Portal

Advisory services offered through Emerald Investment Partners, LLC ("Emerald"), an investment adviser registered with the SEC. Registration does not imply a certain level of skill or training. More information about Emerald can be found in Form ADV Part 2 which is available upon request.